Some $6.6 million in new Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) multiyear grants will support promising studies in an array of neuromuscular disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Through their work, the 25 award recipients hope to better understand disease mechanisms, build upon current treatments,  advance the identification of new…

The severity of motor problems in children at the time of diagnosis with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 may help to predict likely disease progression, including the start of scoliosis and required ventilation, according to an Italian observational study. This is important because a better understanding SMA’s natural history — how…

Russia has become the first of the 15 former Soviet republics to approve Biogen’s Spinraza (nusinersen) to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In its decision, the Russian Health Ministry noted that much more data exists on Spinraza’s benefits for patients 17 years and younger than for those 18…

Although damage to motor neurons characterizes spinal muscular atrophy, problems with lipid (fat) metabolism are an important feature of SMA that should be addressed to minimize the risk of heart and liver disease related to high levels of fatty molecules in people with the disorder, a study found. Complications due to poor …

A new and faster genetic test for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), called SMA STAT, will be offered free of charge in the U.S. as part of the SMA Identified program. According to Biogen and Invitae Corporation, SMA STAT reduces the time for a definitive SMA diagnosis — through…

Online forums have markedly altered how patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals communicate and connect. Even when miles apart, individuals can establish supportive relationships, share experiences and information, and sometimes just vent. Bionews Services, a leading online health, science, and research publication company, has been rolling out its…

Doctors have begun administering Biogen’s spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) therapy Spinraza (nusinersen) in Russia for the first time, the head of the country’s SMA patient organization reports. Forty children with the worst form of the disease — type 1 — began receiving the treatment in July under Biogen’s…

I’ve been an active member of the SMA community for years, but one of my fondest memories from any SMA conference took place last year in Dallas, Texas. As I chatted with my friend Doug, another friend’s 5-year-old daughter joined our conversation. Her…

Need for ventilation support is common among children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and those who are older and with more abnormal breathing seem to be at greater risk, an Australian study suggests. Researchers have now defined a range of values for breathing function that may tell which…

Severe brain abnormalities are evident in children born spinal muscular atrophy type 0, also known as prenatal onset SMA, who survive into early childhood, according to a recent case report. The study, “Severe brain involvement in 5q spinal muscular atrophy type 0,” was published in the Annals of…